Want the secret for cooking a successful and delicious vegan Thanksgiving dinner that everyone—including those family members and friends who crack jokes and claim to only eat meat—will be raving about?

It’s simple: Design a well-rounded vegan Thanksgiving menu that is filled with surprising and satisfying vegetable-based dishes and vegan twists on traditional favorites.

At first, for vegans, it may seem overwhelming to plan a Thanksgiving holiday meal, which usually focuses on turkey and the trimmings. But the variety and number of dishes presented at the vegan Thanksgiving table actually creates the perfect opportunity to show guests how easy and delicious vegan cooking can be. more→

Vegetarian, vegan, omnivore — whatever the dietary preferences of your crowd at the Thanksgiving table, everyone can enjoy these delicious vegetable side dish. Most are (or can be made) gluten-free, too! We’ve got the traditional fall veggies covered here — choose two or three for your menu and enjoy!Vegan Green Bean Casserole is a winter holiday favorite. The original, vintage version uses canned cream of mushroom and (gasp!) canned fried onions; this one gets its creaminess from pureed white beans or silken tofu. more→

Using prepared polenta and vegan sausage makes for a nice change-of-pace stuffing for fall and winter meals, and it’s great for the Thanksgiving table,too. Adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. Photos by Evan Atlas.more→

A dairy- and tomato-free lasagna featuring a creamy silken tofu sauce, this recipe highlights sweet potatoes and mixed mushrooms. It’s offbeat and luscious. I fully admit that it’s a bit of a project, but not at all difficult. Think of this as an option for special occasion meals. It makes a terrific vegan main dish for Thanksgiving dinner, for instance. Photos by Evan Atlas. more→

For your Thanksgiving or Christmas celebrations, please the vegans and everyone else with this basic yet completely delectable bread stuffing. Use a sturdy, chewy bread such as sourdough, rather than something soft, even if it’s whole grain. Photos by Evan Atlas. more→

You can make this festive roasted sweet potato dish with yams or sweet potatoes or a combination of both. Generally speaking, garnet yams are sweeter than sweet potatoes. Serve it as part of a vegan Thanksgiving holiday or anytime you want to warm up the house with the sweet aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg. Recipe contributed byLeslie Cerier.Photo by Tracey Eller